Happy Medium
by PunkPinkPower
Summary: Casey and Theo manage not to annoy each other for a few hours. Well, almost.


_AN: Okay, see? I knew if I got that weird angermanagement!Theo and ParadoxObsessed!Casey out of my head the real stuff would come back. This is how I intended them to be written! This is how I like them! That fic takes place right after "The Blind Leading The Blind" where Theo gets his pretty new fans. -snigger- So yeah, feed the author. _

**Happy Medium**

He was awoken by an apple being tossed at the back of his head. Generally, that was something he considered odd. He heard a muffled laugh from the direction of the throw, and he grumbled.

"Food is for throwing, not for eating." He said as he rubbed sleep out of his eyes, and then he paused, trying to figure out what he'd just said. "Wait. Reverse that."

The laugh was no longer muffled. "How bout I reverse you?"

"I'm certain if I were less asleep or more awake that would make sense." Casey told the blurry figure in blue.

"True. Better wake you up." Theo agreed too quickly, and Casey thought he really should have seen his next move coming. He felt a foot on the side of his hammock, and his eyes widened as the foot pushed off and flung him out of his comfy nest.

On the floor, Casey was suddenly much more awake. "Hey!"

"Oh good, your up." Theo sounded happier than usual as he offered Casey a hand. "I have energy to burn. Game of basketball?"

Casey took the hand that was offered and then put his hands on his hips. He glanced outside, and he was certain it was still night time. He looked back at Theo with as calculating of a look as he could manage. "You know, normal people sleep as this hour."

Theo scoffed. "Like we could ever pass for normal."

Casey shrugged, answered, "Not the point I was making," and went to retrieve the basketball.

He figured he owed it to Theo, after their first few nights spent in the same living quarters. Casey had been bouncing off the walls, filled to the breaking point with new power and he hadn't known what to do with it. It was Theo that had convinced him he needed to move, needed to do something active. The power gave you energy to burn, he'd said, which quite frankly made a lot of sense.

You'd think with all the monster fighting that there wouldn't be much left, but apparently that wasn't the case. They'd all been wired those first couple of days, before they'd adjusted, but Casey had been the worst. Probably because you weren't used to using your animal spirit, Theo had told him. So technically, Casey had two new powers amplifying him. It all made sense in an annoying sort of way, but the three of them had quickly grown accustomed to keeping track of each others energy and helping one another burn it off.

By whatever means possible, Casey thought with a smirk. He thought about mentioning to Theo he was too tired to play basketball, but Theo's high energy was contagious and he was already awake and ready to play.

"It probably has something to do with the new weapons," Theo replied when Casey asked why he was so energetic that night. "Lily ran 5 miles instead of her regular 1 the day she got hers."

They played a close game of HORSE, trying to make impossible shots. Then Theo trounced him at a half court game, which Casey attributed to his being tired. Of course Casey made Theo think he let him win, and this led to a touchy feely game of keep away which any guy will tell you is the best kind of keep away.

They flirted and pushed each other around roughly for about half an hour before he felt Theo's energy starting to abate, and by that point Casey's energy was nonexistent. He finally just handed Theo the basketball, and then he collapsed right where he was.

Theo took the hint. He replaced the basketball to its holding place and then he walked back towards his sleeping area. Casey frowned.

"The least you could do is help me make it back to my bed before you hit the hay!" Casey complained at Theo as he closed his eyes. He heard a rustling, and then more footsteps.

Then a blue beanbag was flung down on his chest and he grinned. "Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the hammock." Theo laid down next to him with a beanbag for himself and propped himself up on it with a grin.

"Hey, somebody was awoken by a piece of fruit being ninja-chucked at the back of his head!" Casey retorted as he tried to get comfortable with the beanbag as a pillow and Theo did look remorseful.

"Mmmm, yeah." Theo giggled a little. "Seemed like a good idea at the time."

Casey thought about that and sputtered dramatically. "What about throwing a piece of fruit at an innocent sleeping person in the middle of the night seemed like a good idea?"

"The part where it woke you up." Theo replied without missing a beat.

Casey grinned and rolled his eyes. "A poke would've worked too. For future reference."

Theo just chuckled to himself and got more comfortable on his sleeping bags.

"Feeling any less wound up?" Casey asked after a moment of calm silence, and he heard Theo let out a happy sleepy sound.

"Thanks. I should've just asked you to play before we went to bed, but I thought I could just sleep through it. Shoulda known better." Theo chastised himself, and Casey just grinned.

"Says the power expert." He reached over to poke Theo's arm. Theo pushed his hand away like an annoying insect.

"I never said I was an expert." Theo turned his head to give Casey a conceited grin. "I believe I used the term guru, thanks."

Casey laughed and gave Theo a shove, propping himself up on one elbow to look at him in the darkness. "How exactly do you know so much about the power, anyway?"

Theo shrugged, placing his hands under his head in a relaxed sort of way. "I didn't before I became a ranger. I guess blue just knows that sort of stuff."

"Yeah, that is so like you to believe your color is the one that came with all the knowledge and wisdom." Casey agreed.

"That's what blue is. That's why I'm blue, Casey. Knowledge and wisdom. And you're red because you're strong and courageous, and Lily's yellow because she's fierce and fast." Theo explained it like he was just figuring it out for the first time himself. "The power chooses you, but your colors choose you too. The colors come with certain attributes, and they choose rangers who already possess those skills. The power is more of an amplifier than anything else."

Casey took a moment to process this, and then he smirked. "So you're saying the colors chose us because I'm stubborn, Lily's considerate, and you're a nerd?"

Theo sighed dramatically with a grin and reached up to smack Casey's forehead. "It's a bit more complex than that but yes, that is the general idea."

Casey let himself be pushed backwards onto the beanbag, and the two of them laid there for several long minutes, thinking to themselves and looking at nothing.

Until he caught Theo sneaking glanced at the training area with a smug grin. His new fans were hanging up with the rest of their weapons, proudly on display.

"Nice fans," Casey commented as the silence grew.

"I know! Thanks." Theo agreed as he admired the fans stacked with the rest of the training gear.

Casey grinned. "You are awful proud of those, aren't you?"

"What's not to be proud of?" Theo's gigantic smile was enough to make Casey want to shut his mouth, but the flush of Theo's cheeks that the teasing would provoke made him continue.

"They're just… well. A little girly." Casey admitted, and Theo glared at him.

"They are not girly! They're lethal weapons!" He rebuked, his small nymph like face contorting into a growl.

"Theo." Casey stared him down evenly, the traces of a smile rising to his own cheeks. "They're fans."

Theo let the silence draw out for a second before becoming outraged. "You! I! Lily likes them! They're a good weapon! I don't see you making fun of Lily's mace!" He protested automatically.

"Theo, that's because Lily has a _mace_." Casey pointed out, propping himself up to be at a good arguing level. "You got _fans_."

Theo's face looked miffed, and there was a moment of deadly silence where Casey couldn't predict what was going to happen next. Finally, Theo just glowered at him and said, "Stop making fun of my fans, Casey."

"Okay." Casey held up his hands in defeat and the subject dropped. Silence fell, and he caught Theo sneaking glances at the fans. Casey grinned a little, and then Theo turned to him and pointed dramatically as if to say 'don't start'. "I didn't say anything!"

Casey's protest was brushed off by Theo, who lowered his finger slowly. "Damn straight."

Grinning, Casey reached over and tapped Theo's foot with his own. "I was only kidding." He chided a rebuffed Theo.

"Sure you were." Theo agreed, giving him a fake and annoyed smile.

"I'm really just jealous." Casey told him, scooting closer to him. Theo just looked away from him. "They're quite dangerous. I'd be afraid to face you with them."

"Casey." Theo rolled his eyes and gave Casey a look. "Stop being a kiss ass."

Casey chuckled, and then tried to look put out. "Well, if I'm not allowed to make fun of you, and I'm not allowed to kiss your ass, what am I allowed to do, oh great one?"

Theo's lips quirked, but his face remained mostly neutral. "Try and find a happy medium?"

Casey was going to assume that a 'happy medium' was as close of an invitation as he'd ever get, so he quickly leaned over and pressed his lips gently to the blue rangers. It was a quick kiss, short and sweet and he didn't really give Theo enough time to respond to him.

He pulled away and caught Theo's eye, gave him a grin, and then let his head drop onto Theo's shoulder. Theo stiffened automatically for a split second, and then relaxed and allowed himself to become Casey's new pillow.

They laid back down on the beanbags, and they weren't touching anywhere but where Casey's head rested on Theo's shoulder, but it was enough. Several moments later, Casey felt Theo's held tilt to rest against his own and he sighed contentedly.

"Happy medium found."


End file.
